{"380581":{"#nid":"380581","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Coca-Cola continues to enhance \u0027PlantBottle\u0027 technology","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe success of its PlantBottle has motivated Coca-Cola to set even more aggressive company goals toward sustainable development and seek more outside partners around the world \u2013 especially universities and research institutes \u2013 to advance technologies for further improvements to the packaging, according to Yu Shi, director Next Generation Materials \u0026amp; Sustainability Research, for Coca-Cola Company, Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYu Shi was on campus to attend Renewable Bioproducts Institute\u2019s inaugural symposium, \u201cRenewable Bioproducts: Advances in Lignocellulosic Processes and Products,\u201d Oct. 1-2.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2009, the company rolled out the first fully recyclable PET plastic beverage bottle made partially \u2013 up to 30 percent \u2013 from plants. The PlantBottle delivers the same performance \u2013 shelf life, recyclability, weight, appearance \u2013 but it reduces potential carbon dioxide emissions from PET plastic bottles and dependence on fossil fuels, like petroleum, when compared to traditional PET plastic.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe looked at this from the end user\u2019s perspective,\u201d she said. \u201cWe know that more and more of our consumers are concerned about the footprint they and the products they use are leaving behind. The PlantBottle has made a big impact on that footprint.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe bottle is now in 37 countries \u2013 more than 29 billion bottles in the world \u2013 and its use has removed more than 190,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the air, according to Shi, adding the company has set a 2020 goal of doubling that volume.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn some markets, Coca-Cola is combining materials from plants with recycled PET to enhance the package\u2019s environmental performance. For example, in Denmark, PlantBottle packaging is made with a combination of up to 15 percent materials made from plants and 50 percent recycled materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new packaging uses natural sugars found in plants to make ingredients identical to fossil-based ingredients traditionally used in polyester fibers and resin for bottles. Currently, PlantBottle is made using sugar cane ethanol from Brazil, the only first-generation biofuel widely recognized globally for its unique environmental and social performance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe success of this project has been directly connected to the partnerships Coca-Cola formed with outside entities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are seeking partners, even today, because there are still challenges \u2013 several challenges \u2013 we face as we move forward toward our goals for 2020 \u2013 offering a carbon neutral, 100 percent renewable, responsibly sourced bottle that is fully recyclable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeeting that goal means looking outside Coca-Cola research labs for institutions that can provide additional minds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe did not do this all internally,\u201d Yu Shi said. \u201cWe worked with academic researchers and we continue to work with partners to build a supply chain, connecting the dots to improve upon what we have now. We made the decision to include others in order to drive down the costs and get greater benefit. We are also working with our partners to crack the code on plant-based purified terephthalic acid (PTA) \u2013 which accounts for the other 70 percent of PET. We\u2019re not there yet, but we can be.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The success of its PlantBottle has motivated Coca-Cola to set even more aggressive company goals toward sustainable development"}],"uid":"28159","created_gmt":"2015-02-20 15:52:17","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:50","author":"Kelly Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-10-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-10-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"382541":{"id":"382541","type":"image","title":"RBI coca-cola plant bottle","body":null,"created":"1449246246","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:24:06","changed":"1475894395","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:39:55","alt":"RBI coca-cola plant bottle","file":{"fid":"75315","name":"colacola_yushi.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/colacola_yushi.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/colacola_yushi.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":49447,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/colacola_yushi.jpg?itok=sXUBV0Gu"}}},"media_ids":["382541"],"groups":[{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKelly B Smith, Communication Manager, (404) 894-6700\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Kelly.smith@rbi.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}